Wu Pong-fong (Chinese: 吳朋奉; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ngô͘ Pêng-hōng; 2 November 1964 – 25 May 2020) was a Taiwanese actor and choreographer.

Wu Pong-fong
吳朋奉
Born(1964-11-02)2 November 1964
Died25 May 2020(2020-05-25) (aged 55)
NationalityRepublic of China
Occupation(s)Actor, choreographer
AwardsGolden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor
Golden Bell Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film

Wu was born on 2 November 1964.[1] His father was from Zhao'an County in Fujian.[1][2] His parents married in 1950 and divorced when Wu was eight years old.[1][2] He lived with his father in Sanchong District.[1][2] Wu's father was supportive of the Kuomintang, and his uncle led a Second Section of Personnel Office [zh],[3] also known as the Human Resources Second Office,[4] a department in every public institution charged with managing security and monitoring loyalty of public sector employees to the party.[5] Despite censorship of Taiwanese Hokkien at the time, Wu heard the dialect at a young age, as many of his classmates spoke it.[3] In time, Wu began identifying as Taiwanese, and not as a Mainlander.[3] Wu worked as a supervisor in a printing factory, but lost his job after a superior discovered that he was communicating to colleagues the number of vacation days allowed per year under the provisions of the Labor Standards Act [zh].[2][3]

Wu's first acting experience came when he joined a troupe led by Chou Yi-chang.[3] Wu later became a member of Golden Bough Theatre [zh],[6] and also worked as a choreographer for Flux Waves Dance Theater.[7] He performed leading roles in Golden Bough Theatre's She is So Lovely (2002) and All in One (2005).[8][9]

Wu was twice awarded the Golden Bell Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film, in 2008 for Imprints Of Ceiba Flowers and 2019 for The Roar.[1][10] He was named the best actor at the 2011 Taipei Film Awards for Ranger [zh].[1][10] Wu's performance in the film Seven Days in Heaven [zh] resulted in a Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2010.[11] He worked with director Wang Yu-lin [zh] a second time in the 2012 film Flying Dragon, Dancing Phoenix [zh].[12] Wu was cast as Peng Feng in Lin Fu-ching's debut feature film Jumping Boy [zh], released later that year.[13] In 2016, Wu appeared in We Are Family [zh] directed by Jim Wang [zh].[14]

Wu's relatives found him unresponsive at home in Banqiao District on 24 May 2020.[15] After a forensic medical examination had been performed, Wu's agent confirmed that Wu had died, aged 55, of a stroke in the early morning of 25 May 2020.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f 葉, 冠吟 (26 May 2020). "吳朋奉驟逝/吳朋奉驟逝家中享年55歲 金鐘視帝告別人生舞台". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d 趙, 靜瑜 (26 May 2020). "吳朋奉驟逝/吳朋奉從文青詩人到三金浪流連 一生飄撇始終豁達[影]" (in Chinese). Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e 江, 佩凌 (5 July 2018). "就是愛:吳朋奉回不了頭的台語思戀" (in Chinese). Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ^ Han Cheung (13 September 2020). "Taiwan in Time: To stand or not to stand". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  5. ^ Hsu, Chien-Jung. "The Construction of National Identity in Taiwan's Media, 1896-2012". The Chinese Nationalist Party Regime and the Media, 1945-1987. Brill. pp. 77–78. doi:10.1163/9789004227699_004. ISBN 9789004227699.
  6. ^ Momphard, David (28 July 2005). "'New taike' not the old insult". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Events and entertainment". Taipei Times. 7 May 2010. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Momphard, David (25 October 2002). ""She" is so funny". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  9. ^ Momphard, David (20 May 2005). "Experimental theater puts its best foot forward". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  10. ^ a b Lee, Jan (26 May 2020). "Award-winning veteran Taiwanese actor Wu Pong-fong, 55, found dead at home". Straits Times. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Golden Horse celebrates Chinese-language film". Taipei Times. 21 November 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  12. ^ Ho Yi (13 January 2012). "Movie review: Flying Dragon, Dancing Phoenix 龍飛鳳舞". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  13. ^ Ho Yi (27 April 2012). "Movie review: Jumping Boy 不倒翁的奇幻旅程". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  14. ^ Ho Yi (1 January 2018). "Movie review: We Are Family". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  15. ^ Wang, Flor; Yeh, Kuan-ying (26 May 2020). "Veteran actor Wu Pong-fong dies at 55". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  16. ^ 葉, 臻新 (26 May 2020). "吳朋奉驟逝/吳朋奉過世 法醫相驗死因確認為腦中風" (in Chinese). Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  17. ^ Wang, Flor; Yeh, Kuan-ying (26 May 2020). "Veteran actor Wu Pong-fong dies of stroke at 55 (update)". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
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